I used be be horrible at remembering where I parked my car after going to a big mall or seeing a show at a club downtown. It happened enough that I came up with a system that has yet to fail me. At a mall as I’m walking down the lane of the parking lot towards the building I make note of a unique structure. “Okay I’m heading towards the Sears logo with the big crack under it.” It’s a weird enough thought that when I come out I can remember to put my back to it and now I’m facing the row with my car.

When I’m parked on some random street downtown I make sure to turn around and look in the opposite direction every time we hit a crossing or make a turn walking to the show. I look for something unique each time. That way I have a bunch of still images in my head that I will see again on the walk back. “Wait, do we turn left or right here? Oh yeah, there’s the store with the purple door. This way.”

Discussion (9) ¬

We have never really had a problem finding the car again, at least what I can remember. And I say “we” because it’s always either mom or dad who drives.
One time, it took me and mom about an hour to walk to the car to find it parked at some almost-deserted area (we had been on a heavy metal festival, and this was the *closest* parking lot dad had found!), but we didn’t have any trouble finding the car, because it was the only blue car of the two or three cars in the parking lot…

When my dad was in the hospital the last time, my sister had to drive up there. It was her first time doing that, and she got direction from an aunt. We ended up driving a long way around the east side of OKC before getting where we wanted. I told her, “When we leave, I’ll tell you how Mom did it.” And it was just going around to one side, drive straight a few blocks, turn when I said, and we were on the highway back home. I don’t even know the street names, I navagate by landmark usually.

At one point, I had a pick up truck that had extremely tall CB antennas, which were helpful in finding said truck. It was also a Ford F250, so that helped, too.

Now I just use the panic alarm to find my truck if all else fails. I mean, ‘all else fails’, too, because if one can’t find one’s vehicle no matter how hard one tries, it does inspire a sense of panic.

when It comes to finding things, I’m hopeless. every time I search for something, even if I know where it is, it gets up, and disappears. cars, books, clothes, every thing…. anybody know how to but tracking chips in clothing?

Pff, you have no excuse for getting lost in downtown Chicago… it’s a grid! Just remember the street and address and you’re golden! Or the closest intersection…

Trust me, I never truly appreciated how easy it was to navigate around Chicago until I moved to Austin. They don’t even get the street signs right down here… instead of cross-streets telling you the address of the cross street, it tells you the address of the street that you’re *on*. Makes no sense…